


The Road Ahead

by hazelNuts



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Friends to Lovers, M/M, POV Stiles, Pining, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-14
Updated: 2017-06-14
Packaged: 2018-11-14 01:08:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11197284
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hazelNuts/pseuds/hazelNuts
Summary: Scott and Stiles are on a road trip when Stiles realizes he's in love with his best friend. Cooped up in a care, and spending almost every second together, really isn't the greatest time for an epiphany.It happens in Nevada. They're two weeks into their road trip, getting gas at a small gas station at the edge of the desert. Stiles is in the car, fingers drumming on the dashboard, waiting for Scott to finish paying. He’s opened the windows in the hope to get some fresh air in, but all that’s getting in is fresh sand, so he starts rolling the windows back up. As he does, he glances to the side, through the dirty windows, into the gas station. Scott is smiling at the attendant, who looks like he has no idea what to do with so much sincere happiness directed at him, and the only thought going through Stiles’ mind is:I really want to kiss him.





	The Road Ahead

**Author's Note:**

> If you think I forgot any tags, please let me know in the comments.

It happens in Nevada. They're two weeks into their road trip, getting gas at a small gas station at the edge of the desert. Stiles is in the car, fingers drumming on the dashboard, waiting for Scott to finish paying. He’s opened the windows in the hope to get some fresh air in, but all that’s getting in is fresh sand, so he starts rolling the windows back up. As he does, he glances to the side, through the dirty windows, into the gas station. Scott is smiling at the attendant, who looks like he has no idea what to do with so much sincere happiness directed at him, and the only thought going through Stiles’ mind is: _I really want to kiss him_.

Stiles straightens in his seat so fast the car groans its complaints at the sudden movement. His heart misses one, two, three beats, then stumbles in its hurry to catch up.

_He wants to kiss Scott? His best friend?_

He looks up to where Scott is just stepping out of the gas station. Scott catches his eye and grins.

_Yep, definitely want to kiss him._

‘You okay?’ Scott asks as he slides back behind the wheel, a small crease of worry between his eyebrows.

‘Fine. ‘S just hot,’ Stiles mumbles. He wipes the sweat off his forehead, then wipes his hand on Scott’s shoulder.

‘Ew,’ Scott says, laughing, trying to get as far away from Stiles’ hand as he can.

He starts the car, and dust billows up before the tires find traction. Some of it drifts in through the not quite closed windows. Stiles leans back in his seat to stare out into the desolate landscape.

_Fuck._

~

For the most part, Stiles manages to ignore his newfound romantic feelings for his best friend. It’s easiest during the day, when they’re trying to figure out where to go, what to eat, what music to listen to, arguing about red versus blue Gatorade and only agreeing that green is definitely the worst.

It’s harder at night. Before setting out on their trip, they’d agreed to always go for the cheapest option at any place they stay; which means that when they’re not sleeping in the tent, they’re usually sleeping in the same bed. It shouldn’t be a problem. They’ve slept in the same bed hundreds of times, but all those times were before Stiles’ little lightbulb-moment. The urge to reach out and trace the lines of Scott’s face with his fingertips is almost irresistible in the quiet moments of the night.

He expected questions from Scott, questions about his scent, and maybe even his heartbeat, but the questions don’t come. Stiles is staring up at the ceiling fan’s lazy rotations that don’t do anything to cool the room, just move the hot air around enough for it not to be stifling, when he realizes that his scent simply hasn’t changed. He’s in love with Scott, and just because he didn’t notice until five days ago, that does not mean it started then.

He turns his head to look at Scott, who fell asleep seconds after his head hit the pillow. Scott’s lying on his stomach, arms wrapped around his pillow, snoring softly. His hair is already a mess. The blankets have been pushed down until they barely come up to his waist, and Stiles’ eyes linger on the relaxed lines of Scott’s back.

With a sigh, he slips out of the bed. He pulls on a shirt and shoes, grabs the keys off the hook by the door, and steps out of the room. It’s not much cooler outside, but at least the air doesn’t smell like cleaning supplies and stale cigarette smoke. They’re on the ground floor of the motel, with their car parked almost right in front of their room. The motel is situated at the edge of a small town, and when Stiles sits on the hood of the car, his feet on the bumper, he looks right into Main Street with all its little shops and offices. Nobody else is out, no car rumbling through the quiet night. It’s a magical, almost dreamlike feeling, like you’re the only person in the world who’s awake.

‘Hey!’

Stiles looks up with a start. It’s the woman from the front desk. _Christy? Charlotte? Marlene? Jolene? No, that_ _’s a song._ As she approaches he hopes to spot her nametag, but she’s already taken it off for the night.

‘Hi,’ he smiles back.

She lights a cigarette, then offers him one. Stiles shakes his head.

‘You okay, hon?’ she asks.

‘Just couldn’t sleep,’ he shrugs. ‘It happens.’

‘Well, at least it’s a nice night, isn’t it?’ She takes a drag of her cigarette as she regards him. When she blows out her smoke she makes sure to blow it so the wind takes it away from Stiles. ‘You look like me after a disagreement with the husband. Boyfriend trouble?’

Stiles blinks. Boyfriend? What boyfr– _Oh._ ‘We’re not dating. We’re just friends.’

‘Sorry.’

Stiles waves away the apology.

‘It’s just, the way you looked at him earlier…’ the woman continues.

Stiles looks down at his hands, fiddling with the key. He doesn’t ask her to specify “earlier”. She could mean when they checked in and Scott had to unpack half his bag to find his wallet. Or at the pool, cooling off after two long days in the car. Or maybe it was when they got back from dinner, sharing what was left of Stiles’ second milkshake.

‘You gonna tell him?’ she asks, then quickly adds, ‘I am sorry. That is way too personal. Wow, I am a real nosy bee tonight, aren’t I?’

‘It’s fine. It’s not like I really have anyone else to talk to about this right now.’ Stiles looks back up and stares into the sleeping town. ‘I’ll tell him when we get back home. I’ll need to be able to create some physical distance, just for a little while. To get over him. Not really something that’s possible when you’re in the same car for most of the day.’

‘You so sure he doesn’t feel the same?’

‘Pretty sure,’ Stiles nods.

‘Well, good luck, honey,’ the woman says, patting his knee.

They talk about other things, simpler things, until the woman’s cigarette is gone, then say goodbye. Stiles doesn’t watch her go, his mind already back on Scott. He wonders if things between them will change much after he tells Scott. Probably not. Scott will give him what he needs to get over him and they’ll go back to what they’ve always been, to being _ScottandStiles_. At least, he hopes they will.

He twirls the keyring as thinks things over, not really paying attention to what he’s doing, and it flies out of his hand before he realizes what’s happening. He waits for them to clatter on the pavement so he can start looking for them, but the sound doesn’t come. He looks up. Scott is standing next to the car, keys in his hands, wearing nothing but his boxers.

‘Stiles, I… I’m sorry,’ Scott says. ‘I didn’t mean to eavesdrop.’

‘Eavesdr– Oh.’ Stiles suddenly feels very small. He wants to look away from Scott, but the earnest look on Scott’s face has him frozen.

‘If you really want to wait until we get home to talk, that’s fine, but if it’s okay with you I really want to say something.’

Stiles considers telling Scott that he wants to wait, to implement his “ignore the problem until it goes away” strategy, but he’s gotten very bad at ignoring things over the past couple years. He doesn’t think this is something they _can_ ignore, even if they tried, so he nods.

Scott sits down next to him, close enough that their thighs are almost pressing together. His body is turned towards Stiles, and their faces are so close that Stiles can feel Scott’s breath tickling against his lips.

‘I’ve noticed it, too. The way you look at me. I was waiting for you to notice that I’m looking back at you the same way,’ Scott whispers into what little space is left between them.

‘Holy shit.’ Stiles can’t stop the words from slipping out. His heart is trying to pound out of his chest, and he’s scared to breathe, scared that one breath will blow this moment away.

Scott chuckles, pressing their foreheads together. Stiles tries to calm down a little, but then Scott’s lips are pressing against his and his body feels like it’s on fire. He doesn’t know what to do with his hands, so he keeps them in his lap. Scott doesn’t seem to have that problem, because he fists one hand in Stiles’ shirt, and the other is cradling Stiles’ face.

When they pull back, they burst into giggles. They press their faces in each other’s shoulders to muffle the sounds.

‘That was a little weird wasn’t it?’ Scott mumbles against Stiles’ neck.

Stiles pulls back and grins at him. ‘Good weird, though. Like realizing you have a new favourite candy.’

‘Hmm,’ Scott hums in agreement.

Stiles slides off the hood of the car. Somehow, his hand has found its way into Scott’s, and he uses it to pull Scott back to their room with him.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on [letswritesterek](http://letswritesterek.tumblr.com/).


End file.
